It has oft been said, to work with children and animals is a recipe for mishap. Not so in my experience this year. I was taught not to tie the actual rings to the bird tasked with delivering them … in the past I have had one owl who had other things on her mind READ MORE
Author: The Country Celebrant
Grief and Regret
Tomorrow is Father’s Day in England. I know that it is a modern concept, born of the marketing whizz kids keen to make a bit of money; but for those of us who have lost our Father’s it is a bittersweet day. It is hard to lose anyone important in your life. Speaking as a READ MORE
To tie the knot
I promised you photos and thoughts on the wedding of my son Jack and his beautiful bride Megan. They were married in the garden of Megan’s family home outside Saskatoon in Canada in August this year. Celebrant getting in a knot!! From the outset the wedding was going to be understated, a proper family event READ MORE
The Country Carer | Doula Work | Community
Doula Work I have had the immense privilege in the last few months to support three people at the end of their lives. I would like to emphasise that this is not medical support; we are lucky enough in Hampshire to have the wonderful Rosemary Foundation; a team of professional, dedicated people who provide a READ MORE
The business of naming | Celebrant work | Nurture
We all have a name, chosen for us by our parents … it may be a reference to someone special in their lives, it may be a name that they have heard and liked or it might be a reference to a character in a book or film. As we grow up, the name that READ MORE
Green Burials
We are lucky in Hampshire. We have access to several natural burial grounds. The one that I use most frequently is at East Meon. It is set on the chalk downlands above the market town of Petersfield and there are views away towards Chichester and to the sea at Portsmouth on a clear day. To READ MORE
The Country Celebrant: Memorials
I have been asked to write a memorial for a wonderful chap, married to his wife for nearly seventy years. They lived in the same village for all of their married lives, in a house that belonged to her parents. Sadly, they never had any children and they were the world to each other – READ MORE
What is in a Name?
t has been a marvellous summer in Hampshire. We have had beautiful, balmy days and there have been some glorious Naming Ceremonies. I have been able to work with families who have had a new baby and wanted to create a truly personal celebration of the arrival of that joyous little bundle into their lives. READ MORE
The Country Celebrant | In memory of my Father
The Country Celebrant: Bespoke Ceremonies for All Your Celebrations Death is the one certainty in life and for those of you who don’t know me well, the death of my Father in 2009 had a profound effect on me. Father had fallen out of love with the Church but he was still a spiritual man READ MORE
Weddings with a Difference!
Mothers of the Bride and Groom filling the sand frame as part of the ceremony. This summer has been joyous, it has been all about weddings and the celebration of union. Families brought together by the joining of couples with hand-fastings, sand and candle ceremonies. There have been many different types of wedding, some quite READ MORE